Pick A Side

Part 14 (Final)

"A collection of your choices is your life."

At some point we all ask ourselves, "Where did it go wrong? When did it become like this?"

Eventually we realise that there is no answer, for each choice we make is but one link in an extended chain. What we do, what we do not do. What we choose, what we do not choose. What we say and what we do not say. Every single choice has led us to this moment. So how can we determine which is the choice that we can blame all of this on?

"I shouldn't have trusted him...", Jihyun weeps silently outside the police station.

"No... it's not your fault Jihyun... If anything, I should have known when he was using me...", you tried to comfort her.

"It's neither of your fault, we all wouldn't have been in this situation if I hadn't been an idiot...", Taehyung said

Jihyun looks at Taehyung and starts to reason with him that it has nothing to do with him at all.

You quietly thought to yourself, "How did it become this way? Did it start when Taehyung broke up with you? Was it really triggered by the argument you had with Jihyun over that bullying video? So was your past to blame for all of this? No, but this wouldn't have happened if you had not meet Taehyung in the first place. And this wouldn't have happened if Jihyun never met Haejoong either. Does this mean that it was wrong the moment all of us crossed paths?"

You were confused, very confused.

"Guys, there's no point in saying all these now. Let's just go... it's been a long day", you uttered exhaustedly.

A choice we make is like a photo etched onto film. It cannot be reversed. It cannot be changed. And we have to make such choices every day. There are no alternatives. Yet humans are fallible from the start. It is thus destined that we make mistakes.

-

The next day Taehyung and you returned to the police station to record your statements as to how Haejoong had locked you on the school rooftop and coerced Taehyung into recording a false confession.

As you were about to leave the station, Taehyung stopped abruptly. You followed his line of sight and it lands on Haejoong, his wrists bound by handcuffs and trudging slowly behind two police officers towards a caged van. Before Taehyung could catch you, you dashed across the foyer.

Thank goodness you still had the sanity to ask the officers for permission to speak to Haejoong and they reluctantly granted you just two minutes.

"Don't you think you owe us an apology?", you demanded.

"What for? I did nothing wrong. I was showing her the truth... in fact, I was showing all of you the truth", he lamented.

"I hope the law punishes you enough for you to realise how wrong you are", you snipped.

Haejoong only shakes his head, "People are often punished for doing the right things too, Y/N. Someday you will understand that I mean well... like I said, I never intended to hurt you."

You shuddered when he said your name but felt someone hold gently onto your shaking hand.

"Leave him be", Taehyung said to you as he came up from behind you. He turns to Haejoong, "Don't ever apologise, they are kind-hearted and I am afraid that they may forgive you. You were never deserving of Y/N... or Jihyun. You will never deserve her", Taehyung clenches his teeth and held onto your hand a little tighter.

Haejoong looks shaken, faintly. His features filling with a sadness you have never seen in them before. Perhaps Taehyung hit the right nail - the only punishment to Haejoong is that his choices has led him away from the one thing he wanted.